Furnace-charging mechanism.



PATENTBD MAR. 6, 1906. D. BAKER. FURNACE UHARGING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.l.1904.

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'T UNIEK PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

D'. BAKER.

PURNAGB GHARGING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1904.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE. i

DAVID BAKER, OFSWAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBRECHT B. NEUMANN, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed November 1, 1904. Serial No. 231,017-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known. that I, DAVID BAKER, of Wayne, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Furnace-Charging Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for charging blast-furnaces, the object of the invention being to provide an inexpensive device of simple construction in which the liability of derangement or breakdowns will be reduced to a minimum.

The invention is applicable more particularly to the ty e of charging device known in the art as be l and hopper 5 and the invention consists in so forming the distributingbell that when it is actuated to open the hopper it will cause the charging materials to be discharged to one side, means being provided for changing or shifting the position of the bell around a vertical axis, so that the point of discharge may be varied, thereby insuring an even and uniform distribution of the materials in the furnace and preventing the sorting of the stock, the formation of .scaffolds, and imperfect combustion.

. In the accompanying drawings have represented my invention as embodied in a char ing mechanism of the double-bell type, in w ich the main hopper is closed at its lower end by a main distributing-bell and is surrnounted by a `ho er closed by an auxiliary bell, the Said be vs being arranged to be opened alternately and each when closed acting as a gas seal when the other is open. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable as well to a furnace equipped with a single distributing-bell land provided with suitable means for preventing the esca e of gas. when the bell is open.

n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation through the upper end of a blast-furnace having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same as viewed in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional plan view on the line a a of the preceding figures, showing the mechanism for shifting the distributing-bell on a vertical axis. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation through the same on the line b b. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the auxiliary distributing-bell. Fig.

6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line d d. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the auxiliary distributing-bell.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the upper end of a blast-furnace formed with a main hopper 2, communicating with the interior of the furnace, which hopper is closed in its lower end by a main distributing-bell 3, adapted,'as usual, to be raised and lowered to close and open the hopper respectively and formed, as usual, with sloping sides, .constituting a distributing-surface by which the materials falling Ion the bell are directed outwardly. The bell is suspended on the lower end of a vertical rod 4, jointed at its u per end to the inner end of a counterweighte operating-lever 5, pivoted between its ends to the superstructure 7 of the furnace and operated by means of a cylinder S, containing 4a piston 9, connected with the lever by rod 9a, the admission of fluid under pressure to the cylinder serving to raise the piston, and thereby lower the bell, which is closed by the counterweighted lever when the pressure is cut off from the cylinder and the latter opened to the exhaust.

The top of the main hopper is closed by a plate 10, containing a central opening, over which rises a charging-cylinder 11, provided at its upper end with a receiving-ho per 12. The lower end of the Vcharging cy inder is closed by an auxiliary distributing-bell 13, having sloping sides constituting a distributing-surface, a portion only of which surface is exposed to the fall of the stock fed to the cylinder, as will be more fully described later on. This bell is carried on the lower end of a tubular stem 14, loosely inclosing the rod 4 and swiveled at its upper end in a collar 15, sus ended by links 16, ointed at their upper encis to the inner end of a counterweighted operating-lever 17. The lever 17 is pivoted between its ends, as at 18, to the superstructure of the furnace and is connected, by means of rod 19, with a piston 20, working in a cylinder 21, the admission of. fluid under pressure thereto serving to lower the bell and open the charging-cylinder, which bell is closed by the counterweighted lever when ressure is cut off from the cylinder and the atter opened to the exhaust:

The mechanism for operating the, bells may of course be of any appropriate character; but Ihave represented a typel commonly and universally employed for this purpose.

' In applying my invention to a structure of this character I so form ythe auxiliary bell -13 that When in closed position it will cause the stock entering the charging-cylinder to be accumulated to one side, soV that when o ened it will be dischar ed to one side, and provide means for s 'fting the osition of. the bell around a vertical axis a ter it has been lowered, with the result that the charging material will belaccu'mulated at different points around the cylinder and will be caused toenter the furnace in correspondin positions. In order to effect these actions, t e auxilia bell is formed with a vertical surface or wa l 13a, extending upwardly some distance from the center of lts sloping distributing-surface' and the full width of the bell, the sideV edges of which wall extend closely along the inner surface of the charging-cylinder. At its upper endthe wall is deflected and extends at an inclination u ward and outward, forming an inclined shie d 13b, the edge of which is curved to conform to the curvature of the cylinder. This shield is held and braced in position by means of a vertical plate or-web 13,

extending upward from the surface of the bell and having its u ,per edge inclined upward and outwardl an connected with the under side of the shield.

The side edges of the vertical Wall 13a and the outer edge of the late 13 constitute, in effect, guiding-ribs, w 'ch during the movementsof the bell maintain the same centrally within theA charging-cylinder and prevent its lateral displacements by the stock. The

' lower edges -of the vertical wall and the plate clined s 13 terminate a short distance above the lower peripheral ed e of the bell, thus leaving an annular inc ined surface 22, which when the bell is in closed position is adapted to fit the extreme lower end of the chargingcylinder and form a gas seal.

From the foregoingdescri tion it will be seen that but a portlon .of t e distributingsurface of the auxiliary bell is exposed within the cyinder, the vertical wall and the in- 'eld inclosing the remainder ofthe bell and constituting, in connection with the charging-cylinder, a receiving chamber or cavity semlcircular in cross-section and disposed at one side of the cylinder, into which receiving-cavity the stock entering the cylinder will be directed and will accumulate on the exposed surface of the bell. ,It is obvious,of course, lthat the vertical wall 13a instead of extending diametrically across the cylinder, as shown, may have its face disposedat an angle, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5,@ which would have the effect of increasing the cross-sectional' area of the receiving-cavity.

The shifting of the bell around a vertical axis in order to" change the position of the rejointly by the bell and cylin er.

ceiving-cavity, or, in other words, the point at which the stock isV discharged into the -main hopper, iseffected automatically by the rise of the bell in its closing movement. This action is conveniently effected by the mechanism shown more particularly in Fi s. 3 and 4, where it will be seen that the tubu' ar stem of the auxiliary bell is provided near its uplri s per end and on opposite sides with s ira or wings 23, fitting loosely inradia grooves or slots in a horizontal ratchet-wheel 24, having a central circular opening through which the tubular stem 14 loosely extends. The ratchet-wheel is mounted in bearings in a casing25, sustained in the'upper end of the receiving-hopper, and the teeth of the wheel are enga e which will permit movement of the wheel in one direction only. As a result `*when the stem is moved vertically throu h the ratchetwheel in one direction the whee will be caused by the spiral ribs "to turn around; but `when the stem is moved in the opposite direction,

l the wheel being held by the pawl against reverse movement, the spiralrlbs will impart a turning movement to the, stem, which movement will be transmitted to the bell and will shift the same around a vertical axis.

by a spring-actuated pawl 26,

The direction of inclination of the spiral ribs and the relative arran ement` of the will be ermitte to turn only when the stem Ymoves ownward on the openin -of the bell,

so that when the stem is move upward to close the bell ethe latter will'be shifted invposition. I prefer to arrange the spiral ribs at such pitch that in the closing movement of the bell it will. be turned one hundred and eighty-six degrees; but of course the extent lof revolution may be changed to meet different conditions.

The o eration of the mechanism is as follows: T e charging materials being yfed into the receiving -hopper by any appropriate means-in the present instance b the skipcars SO-the materialsare directe by the inclined shield 13b'onto the exposed surface of the bell and accumulate at the side of the cylinder in the receiving-cavit formed conl a Pressure being admitted to cylinder 21 the auxiliary lOO IIO

bell will be lowered and the contents of the v cylinder 21 and the same opened to the exhaust,. whereupon weighted leverl 17 will raise the auxillary bell, and as the ratchetwheel is held by its pawl against rotation the passage of the spiral ribs therethrough will turn the stem and rotate the bell, thereby changing its position and bringing the lre,-

`ceivmg-cavity at a different point around the therein. Cylinder 8 is now operated, and the contents of the main hopper are directed into the furnace, the different ingredients and loads being distributed therein in. the order in which they were arran ed in the main hoppel by the successive actlons of the auxiliary It will be observed that my mechanism is of extreme simplicity, is composed of few operative parts, is effective in action, and there isilittle or no liability of its parts becoming deranged. The effect of the successiveY actions of the auxiliary bell in its different receiving positions is to direct the successive skip-loads into the main hopper at predetermined intervals around the periphery of the main bell, the result being that a uniform and even distribution of the materials is possible,

and the sorting of `the stock and the consequent serious objections entirely prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a furnace-charging mechanism the combination with a receiving-chamber communicating with the interior of the furnace, of a distributing-bell adapted to closeV4 the lower end of said chamber and constructed to accumulate the stock delivered to the chamber to one side of the same when the bell is in closed position, means for opening the distributing-bell to discharge the contents of the chamber, and means for shifting the position of the bell to vary the point of discharge.

2. In a furnace-charging mechanism the combination with a vertical receivin -cylinder, of a vertically-movable distributing-bell adapted to close the 'lower end of the cylinder, said bell being constructed with relation to the cylinder to form a receivingcavity within the cylinder extending but partly around the same, means for feeding the charging material into the topy of the cylinder, means for lowering the bell to discharge the contents of the cylinder, and means for changing the position ofthe bell around a vertical axis.

3. In a furnace-charging mechanism the combination of a main hopper, its closure, a receiving-cylinder rising therefrom, a vertically-movable distributing-bell closing the lower end of the receiving-cylinder, means carried by the bell for accumulating the stock entering the cylinder to one side, means for lowering the' bell to discharge the contents of the cylinder, and means Vfor shifting the position of the bell between the successive discharges ofthe material.

4. In a-furnace-charging mechanism the combination with a receiving-cylinder communicating with the interior of the furnace, of a vertically movable distributingbell adapted when in raisedposition to close the communication of the cylinder with the furnace, means carried by the bell for accumulating they stock to the side when the'bell is closed, means for lowering the bell to discharge the contents of the-cylinder, means for raising the bell to close the cylinder, and means controlled by the rising movement of the bellfor shifting the same around a vertical axis.

5. In a furnace-charging mechanism the combination with a receiving-cylinder, of a distributing-bell adapted to close the lower end of thesame, a vertical rotary stem to which the bell is fixed, means for raising and lowering.- the stem and means controlled by the vertical movement of the stem for ro tatin it.

6.- n combination with a receiving-cylinder, a distributing-bell closing the same, a

vertical'rotary stem to which the bell is fixed, means for moving the stem vertically, a sp/iral rib on the stem, a rotary member afiixed against vertical movement and formed with an opening to vreceive the stem and having a roove to receive the spiral rib, and means or preventing the rotation of said member in one direction only.

7. In a furnace-charging mechanism, the combination with a receiving-cylinder, of a distributing-bell closing the same, a rotary vertically-movable stem fixed to the bell, a spiral rib on said stem, 'a horizontal ratchetwheel formed with an opening to receive the stem and with -a oove to receive the spiral rib, a pawl engaglng the ratchet-wheel, and means for moving the stem vertically.

8..-In a furnace-charging mechanism the combination with a receiving-cylinder, of a distributing-bell closing the lower end of the same, said bell having a portion onl of its. distributing-surface exposed to the fa l of the material fed into the c linder, and means for shifting the position of7 the bell to adjust the exposed portion of the same to different points around the cylinder.

9. In a furnace-charging mechanism and in combination with a receiving-cylinder, a distributing-bell therefor, an upright wall rising from its distributing-surface, and means for directing the stock to one side of said wall.

10. In a furnace-charging mechanism and in combination with a receiving-chamber, a relatively movable distributing-bell for closing. the same, a shield carried by the bell and IOO acting to direct the stock fed to the chamber Y wall carried by the bel and extending across `the cylinder, and an inclined shield extending upward and outward from the upper end ofthe wall, and having its edge curved to conform to the curvature of the cylinder.

12. A distributer for blast or similar furnaces consisting of a chute anda distributinglate diagonally disposed in the chute, means or raising vand lowering the distributinglate, and means for imparting apartial revoution thereto.

13. In a distributer for blast and similar furnaces, the combination of a discharginghopper, means for controlling the discharge from the hop er, a chute leading thereto,- a discharging-p ate diagonally dis osed in the chute, a shaft for raising and owering the dischar ing-plate, and means for imparting a partia revolution to the shaft.

14. A distributer for blast or similar furnaces7 consistin `of a lower discharging-hopper,.a conical be l adapted when in raised position to close the mouth of the discharginghopper, a shaft by which the bell is supported, a chute opening into the lower or disthe same, an upright charging hopper, a distributing-plate diagonally disposed in the chute7 a tubular shaft surroundin the first-mentioned shaft, to which the dlstributing-plate is secured, means for raising and loweringthe tubular shaft,

means for imparting a partial revolutionv last-mentioned bell and distributing-plate are secured, means for raising and lowering the tubular shaft, means for imparting a partial revolution thereto, and a second shaft passing through the tubular shaft and connected with the discharging-bell and adapted to be raised andlowered. y

In testimony whereof `I hereunto set my presence of two attesting witnesses.

DAVID BAKER. Witnesses:

J. L. PoULTNEY c LOUISE B. MORRIS.

hand, this 29th day of October, 1904, in the l 

